He is expected to be with the Rockets in training camp and in the preseason. His contract is non-guaranteed unless he makes the opening night roster.

"He's got a shot to make it," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. "He's different. He's athletic, can really defend multiple guard spots. Phoenix was starting to use him at the one. That's where he'll be unique. He might have a chance to catch on in the league even he was just at the two just from his defensive ability.

"If we feel like he can (handle the point offensively) then we feel like we got something there."

Strawberry (6-5, 201, Maryland) averaged 2.2 points, 0.9 assists and 8.2 minutes in 33 games as a rookie with the Suns in 2007-08. His 33 appearances were the most games played by a Suns rookie since Zarko Cabarkapa (49) in 2003-04. Strawberry scored a season-high nine points vs. New Orleans (2/6/08), as well as notching season bests of seven rebounds and seven assists vs. Portland (4/16/08). He also made his career playoff debut in Game Four vs. San Antonio (4/27/08).

Selected by the Suns in the second round (59th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Strawberry posted career bests in points (14.9), rebounds (4.4) and steals (2.03) in 34 games of his senior season at Maryland. Strawberry, the son of former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry, earned All-ACC Second Team and ACC Defensive Team honors in 2006-07, while becoming just the 45th Terp in school history to reach 1,000 career points.

2 comments:

I keep watching for Osby's name to come up in international basketball news, but it hasn't. He participated in the Eurobasket summer league event in New York earlier this summer, which is a showcase for players hoping to attract European team scouts, but so far nobody has signed him.